Our Beginning
by Turducken
Summary: Alice/Claire fic. Arcadia was real. Everyone has settled down, trying to make new lives. How will this work out for Alice and Claire? Read and review, let me know if I should continue.
1. Chapter 1

The crisp air nipped lightly at her bare arms, but she didnt mind. She made no move to cover herself up. Slowly she extended her arms and wrapped them behind her head and stared lazily at the sky. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath of fresh air before opening them once more. The corners of her lips slowly rose up into a slight grin, barely noticeable to the untrained eye. It was the mornings like this that everything felt right with the world. The sun, barely awake itself, peaked slightly over the horizon and greeted her warmly. Yes, it was the mornings like this that made life worth living. It was moments like this where it seemed all of the bad things had never happened. It was times like these that she was free to dream.

Arcadia.

Once thought to be just a myth, just a story told in some dog eared journal, ended up being nothing more than the full blown truth. Everything said in the static filled broadcast had been true. There was a place where the infection had not spread. People here were normal; being attacked by a once upon a time friend was a thing of the past. There was food and shelter, and above all else, there was company. People roamed about, rebuilding the bits and pieces left over from their previous lives. If one could not rebuild, they started anew. The people she had grown to know and care about became her makeshift family. Mikey, LJ, Carlos, and even K-Mart, were now more of a family to her than the family she had known years long past. But there was one problem. One she never anticipated could ever happen in the post apocalyptic world. Someone, completely unbeknownst to them, was slowly making their way closer and closer to her heart.

Frowning slightly, she kicked a nearby can and jumped when the sound reverberated back at her. With frown still in place, she slumped back against a fallen log and looked up into the rainbow painted sky.

'Why can't love be as easy as killing the undead.'

As the sun rose, the members of the caravan gradually started to awaken. Alice nodded at them one by one as they emerged, some later than others. She tried to maintain her usual cool compsure, but she gulped each time a new person showed themselves. Every time a door or tent flap opened, she felt her heart speed up just a little bit more.

'Okay. I used to kill zombies daily. This will be easy. Remember to breathe. Breathe in, breathe out.'

Just when Alice thought she had gotten the hang of breathing, a sudden hand on her shoulder caused her to jump.

"Whoa, home girl. What has you so spooked this fine, fine morning?" LJ squeezed Alice's shoulder reassuringly, something he wouldnt have dared to try only a few months ago.

Alice looked over at him and smiled slightly. "Nothing. I'm good, really."

LJ sighed knowingly, and then a smile reached his face as well.

"No, no no. See, if I know you like I think I know you - and trust me, LJ is never wrong about people- then you're waiting for some green eyed vixen to walk outta that tent, run into your very well muscled arms, and declare her undying love for you."

In response to this, a slender eyebrow rose slowly.

"Sorry LJ, I have no idea what you're talking about." Keep breathing level normal, smile when expected to, you can pull this off.

"Sure, sure. Maybe I was wrong. Oh well, there's always a first time for everything. Oh would you look at that. Leader # 2, in all her glory. Hey Claire! How is this beautiful weather treating you."

Alice's eyes couldnt have gone any wider. Said vixen was walking towards them, the sleep barely rubbed from her eyes.

"Man, what a night. This kind of weather just knocks you out. Hey Alice. You sleep okay?"

LJ took this time to let the smirk on his face grow. Alice looked completely shell shocked. The only response she seemed able to give was the repeated opening and closing of her mouth.

Claire was about to ask her what was wrong, but was quickly shut down by Alice turning on her heels and muttering something that sounded like "Iguhgobye."

"Uhh. Was it something I said?"

LJ laughed as he started to jog after the direction Alice had gone in.

"Everything's cool, don't you worry that pretty little head."

'Ohhh, Leader lady has got it baaad. Well you leave it all to LJ now. Imma teach you the tricks I used on Betty, and pretty soon, the girl will be alllll yours.'


	2. Chapter 2

Alice walked away from the caravan, muttering to herself out loud.

'Real slick, Romeo. That was barely English. Now shes going to think youre all muscle, no brain. Hey Claire, Im sure great at killin them zombie things, wanna go to dinner with me? Yeah. That's sure to get the girl.'

Sighing loudly, Alice dropped down to sit on a large boulder, and placed her head in her hands.

"This is so stupid. Maybe Arcadia isnt the place for me. Maybe I should travel around, look for more survivors."

The sounds of rustling in the grass caused Alice to jump up and draw her gun.

"Who's there! Show yourself!"

Though she was pretty sure no one here was a danger to her, and also just as sure that there were zero infected around, she still carried her gun.

"Whoa there Rambo. Take it down a notch."

At the sound of the voice that laced her dreams, Alice immediately dropped her gun and resumed the slaughtering of the English language.

"C-Claire. Hey...didn't see you there..behind that...tree..thing..that you're near. Right then."

Said intruder tipped her head to the side, causing her silky brown locks to fall as well.

"Alice, are you all right? I'm worried about you. You seem kinda..off, lately. And what's this I hear about leaving Arcadia? You cannot be serious."

Alice cleared her throat before meeting the eyes that she thought about so often. She dreamt of waking up in a soft bed, gazing into those eyes.

"I'm okay. I'm really not sure what you're talking about. As for leaving Arcadia...it's just something I've been thinking about lately. I mean, there could be a lot of survivors out there, just, you know, waiting to be rescued, and I've been thinking, I think maybe I could be the one to help them, you know, and maybe it would be good for me, and I know it would be good for them, cause theyd be, you know, rescued...and stuff."

Claire blinked about five times before responding.

"Need me to give you some time to breathe? My God Alice! How can you tell me that nothing's bothering you! I think I know you pretty well by now, and it's clear that SOMETHING is up. Why can't you just talk to me?"

Knowing that she was slowly pushing Claire away, Alice took a hurried step forward.

"I didn't mean it...I just. I was never good at talking about my feelings, that's all. I'm sorry."

Claire smiled at this, realizing she was finally getting somewhere with the normally brooding woman.

"Well, you can talk to me. About anything. No more flying off the handle with all this leaving B.S. You're staying right where you are, and we're going to figure this out. So. Spill!"

Alice put her arm behind her head and itched her neck nervously.

"Well..you see. Uhm. Say there's this person. I will call them person 'A.' Well, person 'A' really likes person 'B.' Person 'A' thinks that the two of them work amazingly together, and fit like puzzle pieces. But person 'A' is really scared to tell person 'B,' because they don't want to ruin the friendship that they share. So...person 'A' is in this sort of limbo, and doesnt know what to do. Yeah. Thats it, in a nutshell."

Claire looked at her thoughtfully and then put her hand to her chin in a classic 'thinking' pose.

"Well, that sounds like quite the predicament. Maybe you should just-"

Before she had a chance to finish, a voice in the background interrupted.

"Alice, hey, we need your help with some heavy lifting! Carlos says hurry up!" With that said, K-Mart skipped happily back to the caravan.

Alice jumped up, clearly happy for the distraction.

"Welp, you heard the kid. Gotta go. Thanks for talking Claire..I'll catch you in a bit."

When Alice was out of view, Claire let herself drop onto the rock Alice herself was just on, and repeated the same head-in-hands motion. The words she muttered were left only for the forest to hear.

"Goddamnit Alice. Just tell me you love me already."

Thank you guys so much for reading. I honestly thought I was the only spaz who liked the idea of this couple. Again, lemme know if I should continue. Much love, people.


	3. Chapter 3

The area where everyone ate dinner was packed. Rectangular tables were set up in rows, and every seat was occupied. Excited chatter could be heard from every inch of the space classified as the 'Chow Hall.'

Kmart and Mikey were engaged in a serious conversation concerning video games; LJ was attempting to feed Betty in a romantic fashion and was failing, as per usual. Apparently she didn't find 'here comes the choo-choo train' to be sexy. Alice was currently sitting in a corner of the room, making a mountain out of her mashed potatoes, and smushing it when it wasn't perfect.

All seemed about normal, except the pair that usually stimulated the conversation in the hall was missing. In a far off section of the room, Carlos and Claire seemed to be in the middle of an intimate discussion.

Their bodies were merely inches apart, a smile was clear on both of their faces. A light blush adorned Claire's near perfect features. Carlos had his hands on her knees, slowly moving them back and forth.

At the sight of this, Alice perked up immediately. Sitting Indian style on her chair, she tried to inch closer to get a better look. When it seemed she was finally getting a better view, disaster struck.

"OOMPH!"

In that split second, everyone's attention was focused on Alice. Everyone stared as she made a permanent imprint of her face in the ground.

Getting up slowly, dusting off the remnants of food from her shirt, she gave everyone a crooked smile.

"Sorry, dropped my pride-PENCIL. I dropped my pencil. But don't worry. I found it. All is well, carry on."

After people stopped staring, she gave one final look towards Carlos and Claire, who appeared to be stuck in their own little world. As far as she could tell, a glance from them was not thrown her way once.

Sighing deeply, she left the chow hall and headed outside to clear her head.

When Alice was out of sight, Claire jumped up and hugged Carlos close.

"Did you see that! Phase one, complete."

Carlos smiled widely at Claire and clapped her on the back. "She has got it bad. Did you check her out, doing all she could to see what we were up to?"

Claire smiled and put her hands behind her head.

"I was trying my hardest not to look over, trust me. I don't want to hurt her, Carlos. I just think she needs a push in the right direction. And it just so happens that I think I'M the right direction."

Smiling softly at Claire's small declaration of her feelings, he sighed to himself.

There had been a time when he had feelings for her. She had made it abundantly clear that she was waiting for someone to come back to her. He had never fully understood until he saw her interactions with Alice.

It really was unfortunate that they were both too stubborn to say anything.

"So how much longer do you want this to continue, Claire? That poor girl is going to snap."

Dropping back down on the cushioned chair, she grunted slightly, and put her feet up on the table.

"As long as it needs to, I suppose. I don't know. I just want her to show that she really cares. I need her to confirm her feelings. If I'm wrong about this...I don't know what I'll do."

Carlos reached over and put his hand lightly on Claire's.

"It's clear how she feels for you. I can see it in the way she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. Ive never seen someone look so open and vulnerable before. She truly cares for you, Claire."

A moment of silence occurred before Claire snorted to herself.

"When did you become so wise, old man?"

_'Because its how I used to look at you.'_

He shifted in his seat before meeting her piercing eyes.

"Oh. I dont know. Maybe just the ramblings of an old man. You learn a lot when you get to be my age, kid."

Claire smiled a bit before a serious look took its place.

"You understand what could happen, right? I need you to understand the risks. You could get seriously hurt...lose a limb, lose an eye. This isn't a game. Alice just might kill you."

Carlos scrunched his face up and made it seem like he was thinking deeply. He nodded after about a minute of this.

"Agreed. I will take on this mission and treat it with the utmost importance. Whether I lose a limb or an eye...god forbid something...else...I will persevere in the name of love!"

Claire stopped and let an eyebrow raise up slowly.

"Carlos...you are such a goof. Here we go! You ready?"

"Ready for what, oh fearless leader?"

Claire smiled widely and put an arm around his shoulders.

"For Phase Two, of course!"

It was in that moment that Carlos prayed for his safety. For he knew deep down in his heart, an angry Alice was worse than an army of undead.

Thanks for reading guys. I'm sorry this wasn't longer. I kinda just wanted to get something out there for you all so you keep your interest. Consider this a mini chapter, if you will. Much love!


	4. Chapter 4

To say Alice was freaking out would be a mere understatement. With every thrust of her fist against the makeshift punching bag, her anger and anxiety grew. 'They aren't together. There's no way they're together. I mean, Carlos isn't even her type. What am I saying? I don't even know her type. What if I'm not her type? What if she doesn't have a type! Argh!'

Alice bent down slightly to catch her breath, beads of sweat cascading their way down her lean body. All of this thinking was driving her crazy, and throwing in some time with the punching bag almost made her feel human again. Almost. Before her life here, she had only to worry about one basic thing : Survival. There wasn't a single situation that couldn't be controlled by the use of her handy shot gun. Now that the threat of the t-virus was long gone, she had to deal with the problems that normal people faced when life was still, well, life.

One of those things that she knew absolutely nothing about was love. Secondly it seemed, came jealousy. This was completely new to her. Carlos was one of her best friends, but when she thought about his hands on Claire...well...she was just happy it was a punching bag she was taking her anger out on.

As Alice was preparing to leave, she heard faint voices in the distance, steadily getting louder. Before she had a chance to sneak away unseen, in walked Claire and Carlos, shoulders touching, hands brushing.

Both were a sight to behold. Claire with her long silky hair tied back, a black tank top that showed her well defined abs, and training shorts that showed legs that went on for days. Carlos was in similar attire, each well formed muscle threatening to bulge out of his near skin tight suit. They seemed to be laughing about a joke privately shared...or so it seemed to Alice.

Carlos took one last glance at Claire, his eyes lingering seconds too long, and then noticed that they weren't alone in the training facility.

"Ah, Alice! Didnt see you there. How's training?"

Alice let her eyes land on Claire for a brief moment before meeting Carlos' eyes. Remember to breathe. Remember to breathe.

"Hey, Carlos. Training is going well. Just, you know, throwing some time in with the bag. So..what..what are you guys doing here?"

Claire smirked slightly before moving closer to Alice. "That's great! We were planning on doing the exact same thing. Maybe you'd like to train with us?" The glint of evil in her eyes did not go unnoticed by Carlos.

Before Alice was able to respond, Claire 'accidentally' dropped her gloves in front of the already nerve wracked girl. "Oh man, I'm so clumsy. I really need to get back into the training mode, you know?"

Alice gasped as Claire bent over to retrieve the fallen items. Suddenly she was in full view of the most gorgeous...well, you know. Was it just her, or was Claire taking her sweet time?

Though it was difficult, she managed to peel her eyes away from Claire to glance at Carlos...who appeared to be staring, and wait...was that drool? The nerve of him. Men were such pigs.

"Uh..guys? I need to..bathroom. Yeah, Ill be back."

Carlos and Claire watched as Alice hurried away towards the bathroom, and then both let out deep sighs.

"Claire, you almost killed her. One more second and she would have been flat on the ground, out cold."

Claire frowned over at him. "Did you make sure to stare?" She had told Carlos to be as blatant as he possibly could about it.

'Oh boy did I ever. "Yeah, I did. Did you not feel that drop in the temperature when she noticed I was looking? Claire looked up at him, a rare show of surprise on her face.

"Jesus, is that what that was? And here I thought- OH SHIT HERE SHE COMES, massage my shoulders, massage my shoulders!"

Carlos immediately dropped what he was doing and ran over to Claire. He took a deep breath and put his hands on her shoulders, and started to massage gently.

At the sound of something choking, they both looked over at Alice. Normally the face she wore in this situation would dictate that she was calm, cool, and collected. Fortunately for Carlos and Claire, traveling with Alice for quite a while showed them the million and one emotions that were floating beneath that mask. Immediately Carlos dropped his hands and motioned towards the punching bag.

"What do you say, Alice? I hold, you hit. Sound good?"

Alice cleared her throat and looked at the bag before her.

"That sounds perfect."

Oi..I'm not dead. I'm sorry this took so long to get out. So much going on D: I promise to update faster. Thanks for sticking with the story, guys. Much love.


	5. Chapter 5

Carlos welcomed death with open arms. He thought it would be just the release he needed from this pain. Punch after punch was thrown by Alice, and with each punch came the promise of a broken or bruised rib. The way she went at the punching bag was like her life depended on it. He tried many times to tell her to stop, or to at least slow down, but it seemed each time he tried to get the words out, she hit the bag in just the right place to shut him up.

Claire watched this entire interaction with great interest. The look on Alice's face was one of intent. It was the look she wore when firing multiple shots at the undead, or when charging in with only a machete as protection. She was on a mission; unfortunately for Carlos, her mission seemed to be breaking as many bones in his body as humanly possible, as per way of punching bag.

Claire smiled slightly at Carlos, trying to convey her thanks. Apparently Alice saw this as a go ahead to hit harder.

"Alright...I think the old man has had enough. Carlos, go take a breather. You look like you need it. Alice, you hold, I'll hit."

Alice paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow, and then nodded slightly in agreement.

Claire watched as Carlos staggered to the sidelines, and collapsed upon reaching the bench. He'd be fine. He was a tough guy. He'd definitely been through worse. Claire quickly glanced at Alice, who seemed to be wearing the same expression she'd seen in some mutated dogs...Okay. Maybe he hadn't been through worse, but this was for the greater good!

Meeting Alice's eyes, Claire stretched before her, trying to remove all the kinks from her body. So maybe she was trying to be as provocative as she possibly could be...she was in love! She thought it was her god given right to show off her goods to the one she was trying to impress. Now if Alice would only stop looking like she was going to faint...

Inside Alice's head: Error. Error. Error connecting...please wait. System rebooting...Error. Error. System re- hey wait? System drooling. SYSTEM SHUT DOWN IMMINENT!

"Alice? Alice you okay? Helllooo. Carlos, I think she's broken."

A moan was heard from the sidelines.

"Huh..Wha? I'm fine. Let's go."

Claire smirked and raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, champ? You got a little somethin' somethin' on your mouth there. Might wanna fix that."

Before any more words were said, Alice bolted up and turned her back to Claire. She wiped at her mouth furiously, finding...nothing? What the hell. Sneaky little devil woman. Sneaky little...hot, sexy, curvy, goddess -SYSTEM OVERLOAD!

"Alice!"

"I'm okay! Let's start."

About an hour later, Claire was still going strong. She seemed to have the greatest amount of stamina of the group, even outdoing Carlos. Alice herself was starting to look a little rundown, even though she was only holding the punching bag. Claire was definitely a lot stronger than she looked, that was for sure. Alice also realized a few things as the hour passed. She was head over heels in love with Claire. Sure she knew this from the get go, but it was in this moment that she was hit with the full realization of how deeply her love ran. It wasn't the way she looked, although the fact that she was beautiful was definitely a plus. It was the look in her eyes as she focused on the task at hand. It was the way her body moved, lithe and strong. She was a magnificent woman. Maybe if they hadn't been running and killing the undead for most of the time that they were together, she would have seen it sooner.

It was in that moment that Alice decided to lift her head and meet Claire's eyes. Just as she was about to speak, a searing pain erupted from the side of her head, causing her to drop.

"Fuck, Carlos, go get help! She moved, and I kicked her...I couldn't stop in time! Fuck...there's so much blood. Go! Now!"

Carlos was up in a second, all the pain he was feeling before was gone in a flash.

"Alice, hey, Alice, stay awake, you need to stay awake, you hear me? You're going to be alright, I just need you to stay with me."

Alice moved her head slightly, which was now currently residing in Claire's lap. She opened her eyes briefly and met sapphire. She smiled a bit, although it was probably unnoticed. She could drown in those eyes. And at this point...she didn't mind.

"Claire...hey. I think I love you."

And then her world went black.

Trying to breathe some life back into this story. I couldnt do it without your help guys. Thanks for reading, once again. If I dont update before Christmas, happy holidays! Much love.


	6. Chapter 6

_ The thick fog blanketed the area around her, obscuring her view. She could make out only the vague silhouettes of trees around her, all of them looking no less threatening than the undead themselves. Hunched over, branches curling out towards her as if beckoning her to come close, they exuded a sense of dread. She couldn't for the life of her ever remember being as frightened as she was now. And of trees, no less. But there was something else. She could feel it. _

_ She wandered forward, slowly testing her footing against the foreign ground. So far, so good. Branches cracked beneath her feet as she made her way towards the middle of a large clearing. Looking left and looking right, Alice perked her head up, listening intently. The many years of experience she had under her belt dealing with the undead taught her to be cautious, in any situation. _

_ The silence that existed before was suddenly shattered by a shrill scream. As she tried to rush forward towards the sound of the scream, she found that her legs were bound to the ground. The angry looking branches that grew off of the ominous looking trees were now wrapped tightly around her legs, keeping her in place. She struggled to get loose, but to no avail. A look of terror came over her porcelain features when she noticed a figure running out of the woods, being chased closely by another figure._

_ As she opened her mouth to yell out to the person, her eyes grew wide with fear. Her voice. It was gone. Each time she tried to yell out to them, it came out as nothing more than a harsh whisper. Her eyes frantically following the two figures, her desperation to speak out to them grew ten fold. The screams got louder when the figure doing the chasing finally fell upon the chased. It was then that she felt her heart leap suddenly from her chest to her throat. She knew that voice._

_ She had many dreams about that voice, and all the sweet nothings that it would whisper into her ear at night. To her, that voice symbolized hope; hope that mankind would rebuild itself, and the world would once again be beautiful. It was her everything. To hear Claire scream like that ripped Alice's heart from her body, her very being. As the tears began to fall from her face in streams, sapphire met sapphire. With every ounce of strength that she had left, she screamed the name that could crumble her resolve in seconds. _

"CLAIRE!"

Within a matter of seconds, Claire was at Alice's bedside, a look of concern adorning her pale features. Since Alice had been out, Claire hadn't eaten or gotten any sleep, and it was finally beginning to show. It was her fault that Alice been hurt in the first place. She was letting this entire ordeal go to her head. If she had just confessed how she felt to Alice in the first place, none of this would have happened.

Claire shifted so that she was closer to Alice, and put her hand on the woman's forehead. She cleared her throat in an attempt to find her voice. "Hey, you. How are you feeling?"

Alice looked around her quickly, remnants of her dream still clinging to her. As she tried to get up, a searing pain made her drop back down to the pillow. "Jesus...what the hell happened to me?"

When Claire dropped her head and averted her eyes, it did not go unnoticed by Alice. "Hey...what's wrong? You can tell- oh...hey. I think...I think I remember. Man, you pack quite the kick, Redfield." Her attempt at light humor seemed to fall on deaf ears. Alice moved her hand slowly and put it on Claire's arm gently. "It's okay. It was an accident. Accidents happen, alright? And besides, I think it was my fault anyway. I should have known not to move." Her grin faltered when she remembered why exactly it was that she had moved. She was thinking about Claire, and all the things she wanted to say to her. And before she blacked out, she had said...shit.

Claire's tired eyes finally met Alice's in a small look of understanding. Clearing her throat once more, she finally admitted to herself that it was time to know the truth, and to get her own truth out there for Alice to either accept or...well, she didn't want to think about option number two. Sighing more to herself than anything, she finally began.

"Alice...before...before you blacked out, you said something to me. Do you remember what it was?" Claire's mouth shifted into a slight frown when she heard Alice grasping for words. She smiled a smile that was completely devoid of any humor, and nodded slightly. "Sorry...I guess I just needed to know. I needed to know because I-" Claire was about to finish, when a finger on her lips silenced her. She met Alice's eyes, confused. Before she was able to speak, Alice effortlessly knocked the wind out of her, just as she had done countless times before.

"I love you, Claire Redfield. I said it then and I meant it, and I'll say it now, meaning it no less."

Claire's eyes widened slightly at the ease at which the words were spoken. Frowning once more, she pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. Feeling the slight bit of pain, and the confirmation that this was in fact _real_, she met Alice's eyes once more. In her head she had prepared an entire speech devoted to the declaration of her love, but when she tried to speak of it now, it came out as something that was a little less than English.

"I...but you. You can't...you do?" Claire's jumbled words brought a smirk to Alice's face. She was suddenly reminded of the many times she tried to speak to Claire, and had failed miserably. She leaned up slowly, making sure she was going to make it this time, and planted a chaste kiss on Claire's lips. This seemed to get the redhead's attention. She brought her fingers down to her own lips, a look of surprise upon her face.

Alice smirked once again, the look of it never failing to stop Claire's heart. "That was just the beginning. We have a long road ahead of us, Redfield. Are you up for it?" Claire's smile that was reserved for Alice only slowly grew on her face until she felt she would burst from happiness. "I think I can handle it. The question is...can you?" Alice returned the smile, and then put her finger to her chin as if contemplating deeply. "You know what...I'm not so sure. I've heard from a very viable source that you Redfields are killer in bed. It might be too much for me in my fragile state."

Claire rolled her eyes and then leaned down to kiss Alice, much in the way that Alice had kissed her. "Mmm...I could get used to this. So. What's the next step?"

Alice moved a strand of hair that had fallen in front of Claire's face and put it behind her ear. "Well...maybe we should tell everyone?" Claire smiled once more, and then groaned in realization. She was all for telling the Arcadian residents about their (now established!) relationship. The one thing she wasn't looking forward to was the knowing grin she'd get from her brother. "I'm never going to hear the end of this, you understand." Alice sighed deeply, realizing that she was probably going to get the same knowing grin from L.J.

Before she was able to voice her faux concerns, a real concern of hers surfaced. Claire noticed this and leaned in to Alice, her eyes full of worry.

"Claire, before we do this, there's one thing I gotta know. You...and Carlos. Was there ever anything there? I mean...you can tell me. It's okay." Though she thought she said it confidently, Claire could hear that every word that left the blonde woman's mouth was laced with a bit of sadness.

"None of it was real. It was all my idea. I figured if I could make you jealous enough, you'd finally admit how you felt about me. I'm sorry. I know it was the wrong way to go about things."

Alice thought to herself for a minute before smiling slightly. "Well shit. I guess an apology is in order. I went all out on him. He probably isn't too happy with me right about now." Claire moved her fingers through Alice's hair gently, and then laughed out loud. "Carlos will be alright. He may be old, but he's tough. And plus, I told him things could get ugly. It was for the greater good, and he knew that!" Alice laughed along with Claire at her theatrics, and then pulled her down to the bed to lay next to her.

"Sleep now. We'll surprise everyone later." Claire nodded slightly and then yawned, soon joining Alice in the land of Morpheus.


	7. Chapter 7

Alice stirred slightly, the sound of chirping birds slowly bringing her back to reality. She was so accustomed to the guttural sounds of the infected waking her that the sounds of the birds was warmly welcomed. Groaning deeply, she took in her surroundings with half lidded eyes and that trademark smirk adorning her lips. Nice warm bed: check. Guns and kukri blades exactly where she left them: check. Sunlight pouring through the blinds: ugh, check. Soft body topped off with gorgeous red locks: ….no check. What the hell? Good feeling gone. Alice was up in a second, all peaceful thoughts of birds and soft skin quickly fleeting. Blue eyes wide, she gripped the sides of the bed as if her life depended on it. Last night...was it a dream? Was any of it real? She couldn't have possibly imagined the entire thing...could she? Claire was here, with her. They had clung together like lovers that had been separated for far too long. They fell into deep sleep, thoughts of only one another rushing through their minds...didn't they?

She looked around the room once more before rushing towards the door. She went at the handle with such haste that it took her almost a full minute to open it. Before fully opening the door, she took a second to pause and think about her actions. This rush of emotions was so unlike the old Alice. Her usual loner-like personality seemed a thing of the past. She was ready to admit that she needed other people, and couldn't always go it alone. She was ready to admit that she needed one person above all in her life. If last night wasn't real...if for some reason her twisted brain had concocted this scenario to placate her...well, she'd probably lose her mind right then and there, if it wasn't gone already.

With a slight nod towards the door and a look of determination on her face, she piled on through, sunlight temporarily blinding her. She grunted loudly when she was met with another force, apparently one that was trying to enter as she was trying to exit.

Both of them toppled to the ground, noises of discontent exiting their mouths. What Alice felt beneath her was not the body she was hoping for. The body beneath her felt rough to the touch, and the chest far too muscled to be the one of her dreams...or shall we say fantasies?

"Wow. I sure wish I got this greeting every time I showed up. Are you like this with everyone, or am I just special?"

Alice's blue eyes met those of Carlos, her glare sharper than the tips of her blades. Before she was able to retort, yesterday once again flooded into mind. This was the man that was helping Claire win over Alice's heart, albeit in an odd fashion. The man below her was a friend, a comrade in arms. The two of them had fought together multiple times, quite the force to be reckoned with. Why was she still filled with that brief instance of immense anger? Her thoughts drifted to the times that she had 'caught' Claire and Carlos together. This whole love thing was definitely a scary ride, one not to be taken lightly.

"Carlos. Sorry about that. What did you need?"

Carlos got up quickly and made a big show about dusting himself off, especially around the area of his massive biceps. "Well, I was actually looking for your better half. Is she in there?"

Alice's mind shut down once again when she took the time to examine the words that he had used. Her 'better' half. Claire was her 'better' half. Meaning they were both halves. Meaning when they were together...they were a whole. They were one. The two of them equaled one. Alice had never been one for math, but she liked where this was going.

Carlos blinked several times at the scene before him. The lone bad ass was staring into the very blue Alaskan sky, a shell-shocked look upon her face. Her eyes were wide and a smile was plastered on her face. Carlos was frightened. He then made a note never to use overly complicated math terms with Alice ever again. Ever.

He took a deep breath before plowing forward. To shake her or not to shake her. To pinch or not to pinch. Before he resorted to anything physical, an idea popped into mind, a sly smile spreading on his face.

"OH HEY Claire! Long time no see!"

Alice immediately popped out of her reverie, her eyes searching frantically for said red head. "Claire? Where's Claire? Carlos...you're an ass."

Carlos laughed heartily and clapped Alice on the back. Any other person would have gone flying, but fortunately Alice wasn't just any other person. "Sorry, Alice. But that was priceless."

Alice glared up at him once more, a harsh insult on the tip of her tongue. Before she was able to verbally assault him, screams pierced through the tranquility of the early morning. Alice and Carlos immediately jumped into action, running towards the sounds of distress...


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm not sure if anyone really reads this part ^_^;; I don't own anything. If you sue, all you will get from me is my extensive Ayumi collection . /nerd. Anywho, read and review if you want me to continue. If you downright hate the story, I suppose that's ok. I can't promise that I wont cry myself to sleep...but flame if you must. Much love guys.

The infected had reached Arcadia. All of the survivors were dead, Claire included. Umbrella had found them and had come to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. The new life that she had worked so hard to create was being ripped away from her, and she could do nothing to stop it.

These are the thoughts that swarmed through Alice's mind as she made her way closer to the source of the screams. Panic was apparent in her widened eyes as she rushed forward, Carlos following close behind. When they found the pair to which the screams belonged, both Alice and Carlos did all that they could to avoid face palming. There ahead of the two, huddled together like a couple of kids telling secrets, was Claire and K-mart.

Alice put her hands on her hips and approached the two, a small scowl playing upon her lips. When Claire finally took the time to realize that they were no longer alone, she noticed her now affirmed partner walking up to her, a none too happy look on her face.

"What happened? Are you two alright? We heard the screams and came running."

Before Claire had a chance to answer, K-Mart piped up for her. "Alice and Claire, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-

"Hey! That's enough!" Claire made a mad dash to cover the teenager's mouth and then gave Alice a sheepish look in response to the blank stare she was now receiving.

"I'm sorry! I just can't believe it. You two, _finally_ together. Took you guys long enough. Yeah, I know, I know, infected running around, destruction everywhere, blah blah, no time for love, blah blah. But now you're together! I just can't..."

And there it was again. The piercing scream that only a teenage girl was capable of.

Alice and Carlos moved quickly to cover their ears, but alas, they were far too slow. Their eardrums were permanently shattered from K-Mart's impossible scream frequency.

Although he was now deaf in one ear, Carlos couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Really, the entire ordeal was comical. A love that was formed when nothing but chaos had reigned in the past. Alice getting jealous, Claire getting desperate. Finally an admittance of love, and now finally a relationship formed. Claire and K-Mart giggling together like school girls over a cute boy...all of it was just so..._normal_. That's what got to Carlos the most. That was the reason for the genuine grin on his face.

As quickly as the grin had appeared, it was gone in a flash when he felt an elbow to the ribs. Coughing slightly, he glanced over at a very distressed looking blonde woman.

"Carlos! They're talking about me. They're whispering and giggling and I don't like it."

Carlos, nursing a possibly bruised rub, smiled once again before wrapping his arm around Alice. "Welcome to the world of women, my friend. You better get used to it."

Alice sighed deeply before sitting down, a confused look on her face. Women, huh? Well for her it was just one woman in particular that she cared about. The fact that Claire had run off to tell K-Mart all about the latest event in their lives just proved how much it all meant to her. She wanted people to know about them, and was all too eager to share. Alice smiled at the thought. Maybe they could be happy for once, and maybe they could really make it work. As much as she herself wanted to tell the Arcadian residents about their relationship, she couldn't picture herself huddled with Carlos, both of them giggling like school girls. Definitely not her style...and hopefully not Carlos'.

Claire, still smiling to herself, looked around for the source of her happiness. Said source was sitting on the ground, a quizzical look on her face. Her brow was furrowed, and every so often she would chew on the corner of one of her oh so perfect lips. Claire grinned to herself and made her way slowly over to where Alice was sitting. The poor woman was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't register the proximity of the younger woman.

"Hey hotstuff, is this seat taken?" Vocalized sex, anyone?

Before she had a chance to respond, Claire pushed Alice's arms down and sat in the older woman's lap, efficiently straddling her. She placed her hands gently upon her shoulders, and marveled at how well they seemed to fit together.

Without really thinking about it, Alice's arms moved up to Claire's waist, a soft look in her eyes.

"Now you know this seat is specially reserved." Alice's hands moved gently over Claire's back, making small circles as she smiled up at the woman.

Claire chuckled lightly before moving her mouth down to the blonde woman's ear. "Oh it better be...I would hate to see what would happen if it weren't." She brought her lips closer, only a breath away from touching. Right before Alice thought she was going to die from anticipation, Claire put a light kiss on the shell of her ear, effectively making Alice's breath hitch.

A loud peal of laughter got the attention of the two, breaking the mood immediately.

"Aww Carlos! Look at that. They match! Alice's face is as red as Claire's hair!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: To those of you still reading this...I'm really sorry! I sort of lost track of time with work and school...and Glee. I hope you all like this. Again, sorry for the massive delay!**

Though the cuisine in Arcadia wasn't the best, Alice was sure that having grilled 'teenager' for dinner would be much more satisfying than the same old fish they had, day after day. Now all she had to do was catch it, and dinner would be served! Unfortunately for her, K-Mart (completely unbeknownst to Alice) had been honing all of her survival skills. She darted around the trees with amazing speed, and almost left Alice struggling to catch her breath. With one last lunge, Alice put all of her energy into catching K-Mart, and dropped suddenly to the ground, grabbing her chest. Both Carlos and Claire were at her side immediately, concern upon their faces.

K-Mart stopped running when she heard the halt of footfalls, and looked behind her to a very distressing situation. Alice was on the ground, clutching her chest, and didn't seem to be moving. K-Mart yelped out loud and then rushed the wounded woman, praying that she was alright. Really, it was just a game! She never meant to hurt her!

Both Carlos and Claire separated when they heard the teenager rushing towards them. When she finally reached Alice, both adults looked at each other, a knowing smile adorning their faces.

"Alice! Are you alright? Can you hear me? I'm so sorry! I was just messing around!"

K-Mart gasped when she heard the older woman emit a small noise, and leaned closer to investigate. Before K-Mart could register what was happening, Alice struck with almost lightning fast speed. Yelling triumphantly, Alice picked up the now squealing K-Mart and lifted her above her head.

"Fellow Arcadians! Dinner is served! I have finally caught the conquered the raging beast!"

At this point K-Mart was laughing so much that Alice had a hard time holding her up, and eventually dropped her to the ground with a soft thump.

"Listen kid. It's called playing possum. I may be old, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Alice's smile dropped immediately when she saw the glimmer of tears in K-Mart's eyes.

"Hey, what's wro-"

"CLAIRE! Alice was too rough with me! Can you make it all better?"

With that said, K-Mart rushed into the open arms of one very fuming red-head.

Alice's eyes opened wide with shock, sputtering words that barely made sense.

"But she! I swear I didn't! It was just an accident!"

Claire squeezed K-Mart to her, trying to convey a sense of comfort, and then glared down at the blue eyed woman.

"Alice, K-Mart is still just a kid. You could have really hurt her!"

Claire let go of K-Mart and put her hands on her hips to further intensify her scolding position. When Claire let go, K-Mart jumped behind her and immediately started making faces at Alice.

Alice starting pointing frantically at K-Mart, but Claire wasn't paying attention. Finally, she dropped her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Well played, young one. Well played."

K-Mart merely gave a triumphant smirk, and sauntered away.

When the young girl was gone, Alice tried to give her best puppy dog look to Claire, but failed terribly. Claire cocked her eyebrow and made her way to the pouting woman.

"You're so good for her, you know that? You're good for all of us. I don't think you realize the impact that you have on all of our lives."

Alice looked up at Claire and smirked.

"To be honest, I think it's the other way around. All of them help me feel human. They help me remember the person I was before all of this mess. And now you. Claire, you're the most amazing thing in my life. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Alice averted her eyes after these words fell effortlessly from her lips. Who would have thought that she'd become such a sap? Well, she was still a badass. A badass sap who had knives..and guns...and other scary killing type weapons!

Alice's mouth dropped open when she saw the look that Claire was now giving her. It was something that could only be described as...bedroom eyes.

Before Alice could react, Claire had pinned her against their trailer, her hand moving to cup the shorter woman. She smirked immediately when she felt the heat radiating against her hand.

"Mmm...someone's excited."

Alice huffed through moans, trying to get out a full sentence.

"Finish this...inside."

Claire smiled once again. "Gladly."

A while later, both woman were passed out, exhausted from the events of the night. Alice stirred slightly when she heard what appeared to be a knock. She looked over at Claire and smiled. The woman hadn't budged an inch. Sighing softly, she hopped up slowly and headed towards the door.

What she saw on the other side was enough to cause immediate tears to well in her eyes.

"R-Rain? Is that you?

"Alice...hey."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Alright, there be the start of some angst ahead, just a fair warning. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope I wrote Rain well enough for her fans out there. **

"Rain...what...I don't understand. Is it really you?" Alice's breath hitched with her attempt to hold back the oncoming tears. In a daze Alice shut the trailer door softly. She stepped up to the woman before her and put her hand up slowly, as if to make some sort of connection. Her hand dropped back to her side, and confusion sat upon her brow. She knew this was wrong. In this type of situation, she'd draw her gun first and ask questions later. But the shock of seeing the familiar face before her caused her to freeze.

In front of her was a woman that she thought to be dead. In front of her was a woman from her past whom she realized her affections for after the woman had long passed from this world. This wasn't right. Alice had seen Rain die. She screamed out in pain when she saw the bullet enter the Hispanic woman's forehead. She had felt the effects of that loss for a long time after. She swore to herself that she'd never forget the dark haired woman, and do everything that she could to avenge her death.

The death that she had apparently imagined.

Alice met Rain's dark eyes, her jaw set. Before Alice could speak, a rough voice cut through the silence of the night.

"Yeah...yeah, it's really me. I mean, mostly." She smirked slightly and Alice felt the goosebumps on her skin immediately.

"I don't understand. I saw you turn. I saw Matt shoot you. How are you _here_?"

Rain reached forward slowly, watching Alice's eyes for any sign of flight, and took her hand gently.

"It's not really that long of a story, but one that you might want to be seated for. Is there somewhere we could go? I mean, I'm totally digging your set up, but I'd rather do this in private."

Alice smiled and nodded, stepping forward to lead that way into the woods.

Both women were so overtaken with emotion, they failed to see the flash of red hair that peeked through the window of the trailer, and the eyes overflowing with fury.

Upon entering a clearing in the woods, Rain let out a deep sigh and turned to face the taller woman.

"So it's like this. You saw what happened to me. I was bitten, I turned, I was shot, blah blah. But you weren't around for the after show. Umbrella took my body. Injected me with a bunch of shit. Essentially when I came back I was half human, half rabid dog. It was fucked, Alice. Typical Umbrella bullshit. Eventually, I started to even out. My human side began to take over, and I managed to escape. I guess they assumed that I wouldn't make it very far, because they didn't care enough to chase after me."

Alice cleared her throat and sat down on a fallen log. "They used something on you? And it brought you back? How...is that even possible?"

Rain chuckled at the expression Alice wore. She never imagined that she'd see the woman before her looking any less dangerous than a mutated doberman, but here she was, sporting a look she'd expect to see on a frightened rodent.

"It's Umbrella, Alice. They are just one freak show experiment after another. I guess they figured after they had lost you, everything else would be just second best. They used their shit on me, and it brought me back, but I can't say that I often feel the human aspect of it. I should be dead, but here I am. For fuck's sake, I _was_ dead. But now I'm here. With you."

Alice's eyes widened at the undercurrent she heard and felt in those words.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Because of me, they turned to you."

Rain scratched the back of her neck before smirking.

"Hey man, no worries. It happened, I'm sort of over it. When I escaped, I kept hearing things about a place called Arcadia. I figured it would be just another wild goose chase, but here you are, among a goddamn civilization. I should have expected nothing less from Alice Abernathy."

Alice smiled widely before jumping up and latching onto the small brunette.

"I'm glad you're here. I'm sorry that it's under these circumstances, but...I'm glad."

Rain rolled her eyes and shoved Alice gently. "Don't go all sentimental on me. I haven't seen one ounce of badass from you yet. If you keep this up, I might just fly back to Raccoon city for shits and giggles."

Though Rain had been through so much, it was very much apparent to Alice that she was still the same sharp tongued person that she had been before.

"So, it's your turn. You have got to explain all of this to me. What happened to you after my little accident?"

Alice's smile dropped almost immediately, and Rain noticed. She lifted her hands to apologize, but Alice shrugged it off.

"It's fine. It just isn't something I like to think about. All of the people that we lost along the way...it's tough to talk about. The only thing I can say is that we're lucky we made it here. We're lucky to have the lives that we have now. It hasn't been easy, but we're making it work."

Rain's eyes drifted to the ground as she kicked at the dirt. She couldn't stand to see the sadness in Alice's eyes. It was clear to her that the woman had been to hell and back, and was somehow still standing. Frankly, she thought it was something that they both had in common.

"So, uh. Do you think there's a place for me in this little town of yours?"

Alice lifted an eyebrow and shook her head, laughing softly. "Do you even have to ask? I have to introduce you to everyone. There are some amazing people here. There's K-Mart, who I'm sure you'll love. Mikey, LJ, and Luther. Carlos, who's former Umbrella, and ...shit. Claire. I forgot all about her. She's probably wondering where the hell I am."

Rain cocked an eyebrow at Alice's look of distress. It was almost funny to see Alice in such a state.

"Who's this Claire person?"

Alice moved her hair out of her eyes and cleared her throat. Had she even said it out loud before? Sure, they acknowledged that they were in fact a couple, but had she said it out loud?

"She's my- well, you see, she's my-"

"I'm her girlfriend. Who are you?"

Alice jumped up when she saw Claire enter the clearing. Smiling widely she walked up to the woman and wrapped her arms gently around her waist.

"Hey, sorry about that. This is pretty major. She's-"

"My name is Rain Ocampo. Alice and I go way back."

Claire glared at the short woman. Something about the way she had said that sent Claire over the edge. Her tone was full of confidence, and laced with something else that she didn't like. She had said that she and Alice went back. That meant that Alice had been with another woman before, but didn't say anything about it. Sure, the past was the past, but she was hoping that they'd share everything with each other. Or maybe they had been just friends? Whatever it was, she knew immediately that the woman before her was trouble.

"Your girlfriend, Alice? Didn't know you were into gingers."

Alice immediately placed her hand on Claire's chest when she felt the woman step forward. She could feel the tension between the two of them long before they could. What she couldn't figure out was why they were acting this way. All she could do now was try to keep them from killing one another.

"Hey! It's getting kind of late. Rain, how about I find you a place to stay, and Claire, why don't you go back to the trailer. I'll be there in a bit."

Claire met Rain's eyed challengingly before leaning down and kissing Alice with all she had.

"Mmm, don't be late, baby. You know how I hate to be kept waiting."

With that said, she sauntered back to their trailer, hips swaying in a way that kept Alice focused on nothing but that.

"Damn, man. Gingers really are pissy."

Alice deep sighed before laughing, the tension having been deflated by Claire's exit.

"Alright. Let's find you a place to stay. I'm sure K-Mart would be happy to have someone to talk to."

Rain smiled and followed Alice out of the woods. She didn't know why, but she knew that staying here was going to be a wild ride, courtesy of one very testy red head.

* * *

XXXX

Okay, that's it for now. I know bringing Rain back in such a way was pretty farfetched, but I wouldn't put it past Umbrella, to be honest. And I apologize for the red head comments. Personally I think red heads are really sexy, but that's just me. There's gonna be some drama ahead, so bare with me. We'll see how our hero handles it! Take care.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I don't own anything. Uhhh. Read on and enjoy?

By early afternoon of the next day, nearly everyone in Arcadia had met Rain Ocampo. Some residents were cheery and very welcoming, while others who had heard of her horrific tale of survival remained wary. Alice's close knit group of friends had heard her story and were very sympathetic. Many of them had seen first hand what Umbrella Corporation was capable of. They vowed that they would do whatever they could to make her feel at home in their small makeshift town.

Luther said he would take her hunting, and she perked up immediately at the thought. She had a lot of pent up energy that needed to be released. K-Mart talked her ear off about the cutest boys in town and Rain could only grin and bear it. She figured she should at least try to be pleasant to the person who was kind enough to share her living space. She discussed what she knew of video games with Mikey, and shared stories of her time in Umbrella with Carlos. When she could get any alone time with Alice, no conversation was necessary. They shared a companionable silence that she enjoyed immensely.

There was only one person that she had a problem with, and who had a problem with her; Claire Redfield, the angry red head she had met when she first arrived. Getting alone time with Alice was damn near impossible when she was around. When she would find Alice by herself she would approach her with a smile, and then from seemingly thin air Claire would appear and hang her arm around Alice's waist and drag her away. Rain would always force a tight lipped smile that never met her eyes. Claire would always meet her eyes without hesitation and glare right back.

As for Alice herself, she was just plain confused. Ever since Rain had shown up, Claire had been acting strangely, and she wasn't sure why. Whenever Alice was getting ready to go out for a hunt, Claire would be on her immediately, asking where she was going and who she was going with. When Alice told her, Claire would try and get her to stay, saying that the hunting group would be fine without her. Claire would give Alice her signature pout, and Alice would always end up staying behind. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of this; she was a natural born hunter. She needed to get out there with Rain and the boys and get out her pent up energy. If she had any left, that is. Another thing that struck her as being odd was how clingy Claire had gotten. It would start off with gentle caresses in that one spot that made Alice turn into jello, and then slowly progress from there. Usually it ended with them wrapped around one another in their warm bed; sometimes they didn't make it that far.

Later in the day Alice had managed to sneak away from both Claire and Rain unseen, and went searching for Carlos. After about fifteen minutes of searching, she found him sitting in a tree, staring off into the distance. She didn't question it for a minute; she merely went up to join him.

"Carlos, what the hell is going on."

Carlos smirked and turned towards her, a knowing look on his face.

"You my friend are quite the stud with the ladies."

Alice raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I'm not following you. I'm not sure I want to, actually."

Carlos smiled at his long time friend and cleared his throat, wondering where to begin.

"What you have right now is a love triangle. Well, the makings of one. Right now you just have a very, very jealous and dangerous girlfriend on your hands, and someone who wants to be a little more than just friends."

Alice stared at him, her mouth hanging open.

"What the hell are you talking about? Why would Claire be jealous? And who wants to be more than just friends? It better not be Luther. I thought Claire threatened him enough for the both of us."

"Oh, Alice Alice Alice. You are just too cute for words. Your lovely girlfriend is jealous of one Rain Ocampo. And if I'm right, Rain wants to get into those manly britches of yours."

Alice paused a moment before laughing right in his face.

"Claire...is jealous of Rain? Why would she be? And Rain wants to get into my...no. That's not true. We're just good friends; we go way back. Claire knows that."

Carlos sighed at his friend once more. She really was dense when it came to women.

"You gonna tell me that you haven't noticed a change in Claire recently? I know you two are close, but she's on you all the time. She needs to know what you're doing, 24/7? I don't think so my friend. And I've seen the way Rain looks at you. God forbid Claire has seen it."

Alice paused to take in everything that he was saying. Was it true? Was Claire really that jealous of Rain? It would definitely explain her odd behavior. And Rain...well, that was another story entirely. Long ago they almost had something, but that something was taken away in a blink of an eye. Things were different now. She had Claire. She smiled when images of the red head came to mind. Her smile dropped immediately when she realized that Carlos was staring at her.

"Alright love guru. What should I do?"

Carlos put his finger to his chin in thought, and then snapped his fingers.

"A three-some! That'll solve your problem. It's what I would do, anyway."

Alice groaned when she realized that he would probably be of no help to her, and instead focused on the sounds of the forest. It often helped her clear her mind, and she prayed it would help her now.

"Alright, this is what you need to do. You need to tell Claire to reel in her crazy a bit; really, it's starting to scare everyone. Dont tell her I said that though. And you need to tell Rain that you're taken, and that there's no chance of you two being together. There isn't though, right? I mean...are you doubting your relationship with Claire?"

Before Alice was able to respond, K-Mart burst through the woods, yelling for both she and Carlos. They both hopped down from the tree branch that they were previously sitting on, and approached the now out of breath teen.

"Alice! Carlos! Rain and Claire...fighting...guns pointing at eachother. You gotta come now!"

Alice rubbed her neck and groaned loudly. She turned to Carlos for help, but he merely shrugged.

"Good luck, stud."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I know I haven't updated this story in a while, but like most of you, I found myself motivated by the new movie. I'm currently on another account and I've been debating how I want to go about moving this story, if I move it at all. Anyway! For those of you still reading this, you're amazing. For those of you who are new and somehow found your way to my story, awesome! Welcome aboard. For this chapter, be aware, there is super angst. It's not pretty, but it's there. Okay, that's it for boring author notes. Much love!**

Part of Alice wished that K-Mart had been unable to find her in the woods so she would have remained blissfully unaware of the explosion that was about to occur, while the other part realized that she had arrived just in time to stop…what, exactly?

Alice surveyed the scene before her, trying to make sense of the whole mess. Claire and Rain were standing apart from one another, guns drawn and at the ready. Claire's face was distorted into a look of anger that Alice hadn't seen before, and she was thanking every god she knew that she had never been on the opposing end. Alice was a badass, she knew that for sure, but if Claire had turned that look her way, she would have fled the scene and never looked back.

Claire's mouth was locked in a snarling position, white teeth showing through perfectly. Her brows were knitted together tightly, showing the very few wrinkles that she had developed over the years. The worst part about it, the part that made Alice want to look away, was her eyes. Alice had never seen such anger in Claire before, but it appeared to be so much more than that. It was an anger that was laced in anguish, and that alone tore Alice up inside.

Claire's eyes were usually switching between a sweet kind of teasing (reserved for Alice only, of course) and a friendly, inviting look that caused a certain calmness amongst the other residents, but this time there was a hardness to them that Alice didn't like one bit. Alice's questioning gaze fell from Claire's eyes down to the gun she was holding. To any other onlooker, Claire probably looked poised and ready to fight, but Alice knew better. She was trembling. It was barely noticeable, but Alice saw it. Claire was angry, sad, and apparently scared. What the hell had happened?

Alice looked away from Claire to take in the image of the other person involved. Everything that Claire _was_, Rain _wasn't._ The shorter girl's eyes, while entirely focused on Claire, showed a mirth that appeared to be barely contained. Her eyes were smiling, and her lip was curved into a side smirk that caused Alice to sigh deeply. Her posture showed someone completely at ease, seemingly without a care in the world. Her gun was pointed directly at Claire's face, not a tremor to be found. If Alice didn't know Rain so well, she'd have thought that the brunette looked bored with the situation.

Both women remained stock still, even when Alice let out a small cough to announce her arrival. She turned to Carlos who, being absolutely no help at all, merely shrugged in response. Alice threw a quick glance towards K-Mart, wondering how the young blonde was faring. K-Mart's eyes were darting between both of the armed women, her mouth slightly agape. Alice swallowed hard, hoping she'd be able to word her next statement correctly.

"K-Mart, hon? It's okay. Thanks for grabbing us. I'm going to talk to Claire and Rain and get this figured out, alright?"

K-Mart turned to Alice and nodded. Before she took off, she glanced once more towards Claire, and then scampered off. Alice knew that the young girl saw Claire as an older sister and was probably worried that she'd do something drastic.

"Claire…Rain. Wanna put the guns down before someone gets hurt?"

"Please. Please just give me one reason to shoot, that's all I need." Claire's voice was normally deep, but this time it was even lower, coming out as a rough growl.

Rain scoffed in response. "You'd probably miss me, even at this range."

Claire growled and threw her weapon to the ground, moving in to tackle Rain. Alice let out a small grunt as she jumped in between the two, feeling as though she was a lamb that had just jumped in between a lion and a tiger.

"Seriously, what the hell has gotten into you guys? I leave for five minutes and you're at each other's throats!"

Claire stood behind Alice, her chest heaving.

"That…that _bitch_. She doesn't know when to keep her goddamn mouth shut!"

Rain openly laughed at that.

"Oh man. Little goody two shoes just _swore_! I could tell how difficult that was for you, so I applaud that ridiculous attempt to piss me off."

Claire tried to step forward but Alice put her hand against her chest and pushed her back lightly. The feeling of Claire's heart pounding against her hand caused Alice to gasp.

"What was so awful that you two felt it necessary to point guns at each other and scare the hell out of K?"

Rain flashed Alice her 'innocent' smile and then looked at Claire.

"I was just telling Little Red here all the times you and I fucked."

Alice's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets when she heard this. She turned to face Claire, a decision that she regretted immediately when she saw that the women appeared to be fighting back tears.

"Claire, I didn't—we never—"

"But she never let me finish what I was going to say! I was trying to tell her about all of the times that we _eye_ fucked, but she got all pissy and pulled a gun on me. Some shit, I tell you."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief; a small one, but a sigh of relief nonetheless. She shot Rain a look that said _'we are so discussing this later,'_ and Rain smiled in response. The small brunette glanced at Claire once more before sauntering off to cause trouble elsewhere.

Alice turned to face Claire, who had yet to move or say a single word.

"Claire, it isn't what you think. She and I, we never – I mean, we may have…glanced at one another that way, but you have to believe me. We've never been physical together. What she said, that was from a time long ago when I didn't even know you."

Claire had finally moved from her statuesque position, her eyes softer than they were before.

"I know. I mean, I figured she was just saying it to get a rise out of me. But that's the thing; it _did _get a rise out of me, and a strong one at that. It made me feel things that I've never felt before, and those feelings scared me. Most of all, it made me feel sick. I felt physically ill, thinking of you with someone else."

Alice nodded her head in understanding. She, too, had felt the same thing after watching Claire and Carlos act out their little plan.

"Yeah, I get that. I really do. I'm sorry she made you feel that way, but Claire, anything that was between us is long gone. I won't lie to you. There could have been something between us, but the past is the past. I wouldn't change anything about the present, Claire. I don't think you realize how much I care about you." Alice let out a nervous laugh and smoothed her fingers through her hair.

"I never thought I could feel this way. Waking up next to you each morning, it makes me feel truly alive. With everything that happened, this, being here with you, was an impossibility, or so I had convinced myself."

Claire moved her head so that her eyes were trained on the ground. Alice put a finger under her chin and lifted her head gently and met the clear eyes before her.

"This is new for me. Having a serious relationship isn't something I'm used to, but I'm going to promise you three things right here and now. I will always try my best to make sure that you are safe, taken care of, and above all else, loved."

Claire's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she listened to all that Alice was saying. Claire knew that Alice was a woman of very few words, and for her to be saying all of this was a shock in itself.

"Alice…a-are you sure that this is what you want? If you want to go back to…_her_, you can tell me. If that's what you want, I swear I'll fight for you. I'm not letting you go so easily. I promise that I'll—"

Claire's rant was cut short as Alice placed a finger on the red head's soft lips.

"You're the one that I want, Claire. Just you."

Claire let out a noise that was half sigh and half strangled sob before launching herself into Alice's chest. Alice smiled down at the woman and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Why don't you go take a nap? I'm sure all of this took a lot out of you. We can talk about it more later, if you want to."

Claire nodded against Alice's chest and got up slowly, throwing Alice one last glance before heading towards their trailer.

The blonde put her hands up to her eyes and rubbed hard. It was true; there was never a dull day in Arcadia. She got up quickly, knowing what she had to do next. It wasn't going to be easy, but it needed to be done.

It wasn't hard for her to find Rain. She knew almost immediately where the girl would be, and she was right. Rain's back was facing her, the entire back of her tank top soaked in sweat. With each punch that she threw, her muscles flexed forcefully. She let out a small grunt each time her fist connected with the unfortunate punching bag, the chain it was attached to threatening to break.

Alice looked on unabashedly while Rain wiped the sweat from her brow.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. I'm surprised that you made it down here with the length of that leash you're wearing."

Alice smirked at Rain's comment.

"What's up with you? Why do you dislike Claire so much?"

Rain lifted her tank top over her head and laughed when Alice turned around, red in the face.

"I think you know the answer as to why I don't like Red. She isn't good enough for you. She's weak."

Alice turned around quickly and walked towards Rain. "You don't know her the way that I do. She's a strong person who has been through hell. Believe me. She's a lot stronger than she looks."

Alice thought back to the time when Claire was the leader of the convoy. Though she was often frightened, Claire never let it show; she continued on, and Alice admired her for that.

"We've all been through hell, Alice, you included. Don't tell me she's special."

Alice moved even closer to Rain, feeling the girl's body heat emanating off of her in waves.

"That's the thing, Rain. She _is_ special—to me."

Rain's eyes narrowed as she took in Alice's serious tone. "You're kidding me, right? She can't possibly be important to you. You two aren't meant for each other! You should be with someone who's as strong as you are, who values the things that you value, who _understands _ the shit that you've been through! Someone like—"

"Like you?"

Rain's jaw clenched together tightly.

"Yeah. Maybe. Someone like me."

Alice sighed deeply and sat down beside the girl.

"Once upon a time, it would have worked between us. You're unbelievably stubborn, incredibly rude—but you're all heart. I know you pretend to be tough so that others won't see the real you, but I do. There are qualities that you have that I adore more than you can imagine, and once upon a time, there could have been an '_us._' But that time has passed. I'm with Claire now—a woman whose smile is as infectious as it is beautiful."

Rain scoffed and kicked at the ground.

"I love her, Rain. She makes me happy without even trying. I'm sorry that we missed our chance—I truly am, but that's the way it is."

Rain let a ghost of a smile slip out when Alice was done talking. Alice was happy. To Rain, that was all that mattered. It sucked, no doubt about that, but Alice was happy. She'd have no choice but to accept it and move on.

"Okay. You love her. I get it. Just…do me a favor? Come here."

Alice quirked a brow but moved towards the brunette.

Rain grabbed the front of Alice's shirt and pulled her close.

"Rain, what are you doing?"

Rain smiled, but it wasn't a smile of happiness.

"Please. For just a second, let me pretend."

Alice swallowed hard and allowed the smaller girl full control.

Rain's lips were soft, so much softer than Alice could have ever guessed, given the woman's cold exterior. She moved them slowly against Alice's own in a manner that showed her true passion for the blonde. Alice surprised herself when she moaned, but she had yet to pull away.

This wasn't a kiss meant to hurt anyone; this wasn't a kiss to prove one's love. This was a kiss for someone you _could_ have loved, but never got the chance to. This was a goodbye to all of the feelings that were pent up and threatening to escape. This kiss was the first and last for them, and they both felt it.

As soon as Alice pulled away, she saw Rain's eyes widen in shock.

"Oh. Fuck."

Alice's jaw dropped when she realized what was happening. She turned around slowly to see Claire standing at the top of the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

"So much for your promises, Alice."

Her eyes that burned with fury fell upon Rain, and her words that were laced with venom stung painfully.

"You can fucking _have_ her. You're perfect for one another."

Before Alice had a chance to say anything, Claire took off, running at full speed.

Alice collapsed to the ground, her eyes quickly fogging over. Rain stood awkwardly, considering her options. Finally she knelt down so that she was eye level with Alice. She placed a hand on her back and rubbed softly.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna fix this."

Alice could only nod, and hope that she was right.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: It's been forever and a day. I'm not sure who still reads this, but if anyone does, then you're beyond amazing and I love you. Inspiration hit me randomly, so this is for you guys. Much love, everyone! **

Rain could openly admit that when it came to showing and acting on any of the more 'sensitive' emotions, she was as adept as a robot. Anger and rage were no problem; put on your game face, get your gun and fuck shit up. Pretty simple. When it came to anything involving the ridiculous organ in her chest, she was more or less screwed. She made bad decisions that created awful ripple effects, which was generally why she avoided anything of the sort. And now here she was again, in the middle of her biggest fuck up to date. She wasn't the type of person to deal in regrets; when she wanted something or wanted something done, she went out there and got it or did it herself.

Regret was for pussies.

She didn't regret kissing Alice, not for one second. A normal person, a person with a conscience probably would have, but not her. She had been living with those feelings for a long time, and for her own sanity, she needed that kiss to set herself free. She needed it so she could do what was needed for her to survive, and carry on like a regular human being, though she was the furthest thing from it; she needed it to move on.

She wasn't much one for love, and all of those ridiculous emotions that were turned into sappy movies generally made her sick, but goddamnit if she didn't feel something stirring in her chest whenever she thought of the brunette woman.

'Falling for the one you can't have, and then you fuck up her relationship. Classic.'

She knew she'd have to face the music eventually. As much as to she wanted to avoid it, she needed to find the redhead and explain things to her. She didn't give a shit about Claire. As far as Rain was concerned, she wasn't good enough for Alice.

'But she's the one Alice wants, so I have to make this right.'

After changing into clothes that were more appropriate for hunting someone down, she grabbed her gun and began her search. She knew for sure that this mission had the potential to be deadlier than any other infected hunt she had been on before. Dealing with the undead she could handle, but dealing with a jaded lover, who just happened to be a redhead? _Fuck_ that. Claire was going to be out for blood, so she needed to be prepared.

She decided that before actually searching, asking around would probably be helpful. The first person she saw was the kid with the weird name. Wal-mart? Target? Whatever it was, she couldn't remember, but she figured she'd know where Claire was. When the girl looked up at her arrival, Rain gave a half wave and jogged up to her.

"Hey kid, have you seen—"

The kid was faster than she looked, that was for damn sure. Before getting her whole sentence out, a strong fist hit her in the nose, drawing blood immediately. Now, if this moment had occurred in the past, the kid would be on the ground right now, either writhing in agony or begging for her life. But this place was 'civilized,' so she had to act accordingly.

"Okay, that really wasn't necessary."

The lanky blonde backed up, knowing she had made a grave mistake, but had been unable to stop herself.

"What's your problem?! Why would you come between Alice and Claire like that? They're made for each other, and you—you just _ruined_ it!"

Rain couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. With a quick flick of her wrist, she wiped away the blood and met the younger girl's eyes.

"Listen. Not that it's any of your business, but I'm looking for the bit—Claire. I'm looking for Claire right now so I can explain some shit, alright? Now do you know where is she or don't you?"

K-mart glared with all of her might, wishing that she had just half of the fighting strength that Claire had. She'd knock this chick into next week. Or, like, tomorrow. Either one was fine.

"Yeah, I know where she is, but I'm not telling _you_."

Rain grit her teeth and took a deep breath. Count to 100, and keep your cool.

"This is important, so if you know where she is, you need to tell me. I told you, I need to—wait. I can't believe I didn't see it. You're bluffing. Kid, you need to work on your lying ability, or rather lack of, 'cause you're straight transparent right now."

_Damn it. _

"Whatever. Just stay away from Claire, or…else."

K-Mart turned and jogged away, not giving the small latina the chance to retort.

Rolling her eyes, Rain turned away, only to run into another person she was going to automatically assume was an enemy.

"If this conversation is going to go anything like the one I just had, then save it. I don't have the energy or the patience for this shit."

Carlos smiled and stepped forward.

"You have it all wrong. I just want to talk, that's all."

Rain eyed him suspiciously, expecting a sneak attack at any moment. When nothing happened, she sighed deeply and sat down. Carlos followed suit and leaned back, a wistful look on his face.

"You know, I was in your shoes once."

Rain's face contorted as she turned to meet his eyes, to which Carlos only smiled in return.

"I know how you feel. Well, not right now, but before, yeah. I've been there."

"I'm not following, and really, I'm not too sure that I want to. I really have to get going now, so I guess we'll have to save your campfire story for another day."

Before Rain had a chance to flee, Carlos put his hand on her shoulder gently, his eyes imploring her to stay. Groaning in protest, she ripped her arm away from him, but remained glued to her seat.

"There was a time when I felt the same way you feel now. I loved someone very much, someone I knew I'd never have."

Rain chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Please tell me this shit isn't going to turn into some Lifetime special. I swear I will shoot myself in the face."

The look in Carlos' eyes never changed, causing Rain to sigh deeply.

"Okay. Fine. By all means, tell me how similar we really are, cause I can't wait to hear this."

"I know what it feels like. Knowing that the love you have for someone will never be returned. It's an awful feeling, Rain. It gets inside of you and it festers and makes you feel all of these really awful things, until you feel nothing at all."

Rain, in an odd moment of sympathy, turned to him with a questioning look on her face. "Who was she?"

Carlos turned his eyes towards the ground and swallowed hard. His lack of response was all Rain needed, and she immediately burst into laughter that was devoid of all humor. She shot up from her seat and began pacing.

"You have got to be fucking _kidding_ me! What is it about her that's so damned special? What is it about her that makes people want to love her? Huh?"

Carlos looked at her wearily, a weak smile adorning his worn face.

"You don't understand because you don't actually know her. You have this predisposed notion of who she is and who she isn't, and it's stopping you from seeing the real person that she is."

"She's a bitch, I know that for damn sure."

Carlos wanted to jump in and defend Claire, as that part of him hadn't changed, but he also wanted Rain to try and understand why things were the way they were.

"Claire is a tough woman, a woman who has saved our asses more times than I can count. She's been strong not just for herself, but for the entire convoy when we thought all was lost. That is a shitty position for just one person to fill, but she did it. Now, I need you to listen to this part, because it's really important."

Rain shook her head. There was no point in refusing this far in.

"It has always been Alice and Claire, even when they weren't together. Everything they went through, every horror that they were forced to endure; it all helped to solidify what was coming. There was never a chance that Claire and I would be together, because _it's always been them_."

Rain's emotions, running rampant, reached her eyes and caused a stinging feeling to hit her hard. She cleared her throat, hoping the man before her wouldn't hear the break in her voice as she began to speak. What was said next caused Carlos to feel pity for the woman in front of him, because he knew all too well how she was feeling.

"But I just love her so damn much. It isn't _fair_. All of the shit we both went through, we should be allowed to be happy."

Carlos chanced comforting her with a light hand on her forearm.

"That's the thing you have to understand. She _is_ happy."

Rain's eyes widened as she took in his words. Alice was happy. Alice was happy with another person, yes, but she was happy. And that was important to Rain.

Rain wiped her nose and put her mask back on, firmly in place.

"I know. And I know what I have to do to fix this, so please, just tell me where she is so I can end this mess."

Carlos, a ghost of a smile on his face, pointed towards the woods.

"Through a clearing, not too far in. Good luck."

Rain shook her head and headed in the direction he pointed her towards.

_Well, here goes everything. _


End file.
